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Here's a collection of written laws where, strange as it will seem at times, each one was actually thought up by one or more real human beings who then, in most cases, decided after writing it down and upon further reflection that yes, this would be a good rule that everybody should follow from now...

Here's a collection of written laws where, strange as it will seem at times, each one was actually thought up by one or more real human beings who then, in most cases, decided after writing it down and upon further reflection that yes, this would be a good rule that everybody should follow from now on. In some cases, the rule is just stupid. In others, the rule itself may make sense but only because human beings are what they are. You'll find more than 200 unusual, bizarre, and absurd laws that seem too weird to be true, but are indeed true. The book begins with the laws of ancient Sumeria and Babylon, then moves on to the laws of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and also features some examples from medieval times. All the ancient laws discussed here are translations from languages other than English. As this book is for entertainment purposes, if you're looking for linguistic precision, you might want to adjust your monocle and head over to a more serious section of the bookstore, Señor Braniac. Most of the book is comprised of laws inflicted on the population of the United States. The book then concludes with a selection of modern(ish) laws from other countries, some of which have a legal system similar to that of the United States (the UK, Australia, New Zealand, etc.), some of which have a completely different tradition (Germany, China, Papua New Guinea), and some of which can barely be said to observe the rule of law" at all. Above all, all of the laws mentioned in this book are (or were) real. The author did research and everything, and has even provided citations in case you want to check his work.

From the Back Cover Is this book about Sasquatches? No, it's about strange-but-true laws. I was really looking for a book about Sasquatches. That isn't a question. Are all the laws in this book actually real? Yes. Has a lawyer confirmed that? Yes. Was this book written by a lawyer? Would that make you more or less likely to buy it? Will this book fit under my washer? (Sigh.) Probably. What other books has this lawyer written? This is his first one, but he does write a legal-humor blog called Lowering the Bar (www.loweringthebar.net). Is that any good? See below.

"I had tears in my eyes for 20 minutes. I wish I could have shared this in the office, but the closest thing to a lawyer here is a CPA and you can imagine the sense of humor he has (to be fair, he really is quite funny)." Anthony C.

"Love the site. I know nothing about the law, but I know funny." Tim J.

"Just want to tell you how much I look forward to your daily offering. It is a rare gem in the coal bin that is my inbox." Robbie M.

"The cardinals and I enjoy Lowering the Bar almost every day." Pope Francis I.

"I was just enjoying your content when it occurred to me that I would have to stop making fun of my lawyer mom. I thought midlife crisis had driven her to pick the most boring new career conceivable. Who knew?" Elizabeth M.

"I stumbled across Lowering the Bar last semester, and I've been hooked ever since. If it weren't for your uniquely insightful and hilariously written legal analysis, I'd have to actually pay attention in Property class. Thank you." Amelia P.

"Lowering the Bar is the funniest legal site out there.... I have yet to read anything on Lowering the Bar that I did not enjoy immensely." via Twitter "Way more interesting than zoning law." Patrick M.